World of Darkness (video game)
Cancelled MMORPG set in the World of Darkness universe.
World of Darkness, also known as World of Darkness Online, was a massively multiplayer online role-playing game in development by CCP Games from 2006 until its cancellation in 2014. Based on the World of Darkness tabletop series by White Wolf Publishing, it was planned to let players become vampires in a nonlinear, politics-focused world. The project was considered one of the highest-profile game cancellations of the 2010s, though its development troubles and layoffs were seen as typical for the industry.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- CCP Games
- Director
- Reynir Hardarson
- Producer
- Chris McDonough
- Artist
- Erling Sævarsson
- Released
- Canceled
- Genre
- Massively multiplayer online role-playing
- Modes
- Multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Development
CCP Games developed World of Darkness under director Reynir Hardarson and producer Chris McDonough, with concept art by Erling Sævarsson. Early planning began around the merger with White Wolf in late 2006, and in June 2007 CCP estimated a four-to-five-year development. The game was unveiled at White Wolf's Grand Masquerade event in New Orleans in 2010 with a trailer and concept art, targeting a 2012 release. The team grew to 70 in early 2013, then 15 were laid off later that year. By early 2014, CCP described the game as still years away, and in April it was canceled, with 54 staff laid off at CCP Atlanta and remaining staff moved to Eve-related projects. Staff reported management and organizational issues: workers were frequently moved to other projects for 3–6 months, and at times the entire team worked on Eve projects, especially before the 2009 Apocrypha expansion. This caused progress to slow, with partially finished features abandoned and restarted multiple times. Former developer Nick Blood said that five years in, little of the core game was implemented. After Paradox Interactive acquired the World of Darkness series in 2015, including the game's assets, they stated the art and ideas would be used in other World of Darkness projects.
Reception
GameSpot described World of Darkness as one of the most notable canceled games of the late 2010s, while other outlets found the cancellation typical: The Guardian called the commonness of such job cuts a scandal, Polygon deemed it neither shocking nor unusual, and Kotaku called it disappointing but unsurprising. Early previews praised the game's visuals and experimental feel; PCGamesN considered it one of the most interesting MMOs in development, and IGN called it super-stylish. After cancellation, Polygon noted the unique promised experience and freedom to manipulate politics, making the cancellation especially hard for series fans. However, after leaked screenshots and a manual emerged, Rock, Paper, Shotgun felt the game looked poor and too MMORPG-like, lacking the series' mystique and excitement. Gamereactor saw it as an example of CCP's lackluster projects outside Eve Online.
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